Roundtable discussion: Engaging Students online

As we get closer to our upcoming roundtable we would like to share a little bit more about the amazing guests that will be joining us.

Abigail Perkins is a Learning Strategist in the Center for Online and Continuing Education at Florida Atlantic University. She specializes in educational research and development of innovative deliverables for online learning, such as experiential, immersive, and game-based learning. Dr. Perkins received her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from Texas A&M University; her master’s degree in Theoretical Physics from Ball State University; and her B.S. in Applied Physics from Ball State University. She has classroom experience teaching college physics and values bridging gaps between research and practice for an empowered citizenry.

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Dennis A. Trinkle is the Director of the Center for Information and Communication Sciences (CICS) and Director of the Applied Research Institute at Ball State University.  Dr. Trinkle brings a diverse multi-sector leadership background to his leadership of CICS, where he also holds the rank of Professor of Information and Communication Sciences.  Prior to joining Ball State, Dr. Trinkle served as the provost and chief academic officer for Harrison College.  Trinkle provided executive and academic leadership for the entire Harrison College system, which included 900-plus employees and 12 campuses, an online division and a culinary division (The Chef’s Academy). 

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Dr. Trinkle has served leading institutions across the higher education, corporate, and government sectors, including serving as the chief executive officer of IHETS, chief information officer for Valparaiso University, and as the chief information officer, associate vice president for academic affairs, and Tenzer Professor of Information Technology for DePauw University.  He was the co-founder and inaugural president of the American Association for History and Computing.  

Trinkle is the author and editor of 16 books and more than 50 articles on technology, teaching and learning, history and leadership. He is a frequently invited keynote speaker at international events on business, innovation and technology topics. His professional affiliations include membership in accreditation and external review teams for the HLC and institutional review processes. He served as a member of the HLC Nominating Committee as well as a member of peer review corps for both the HLC’s Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) and its Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality (PEAQ). A Phi Beta Kappa member, Trinkle’s honors and awards include the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Program; Indy’s Best and Brightest; Golden Horseshoe Award for Top Philanthropist, Indianapolis Colts; Innovation Fellow, Northwest Indiana Society of Innovators; CIO 100; EDUCAUSE Quarterly Contribution of the Year Award; Mira Award for Technology Leadership in Higher Education; and EDUCAUSE Teaching & Learning Award.

A native of Indianapolis, Trinkle earned a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from DePauw University, an MBA in technology management from the University of Phoenix, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati. He currently serves on multiple boards of directors, including College Mentors for Kids, the Lawrence Township School Foundation, Elements Financial, Virginia Marti College of Art and Design, and the New England Culinary Institute. He resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Kristi, and two sons, JT and Nathan.

Andi Hess is the director of the Interdisciplinary Translation and Integration Sciences Initiative at Arizona State University, which aims to help research teams across the university bridge disciplinary gaps. Her research focuses on the Science of Team Science and Interdisciplinary Translation, a process of actively facilitating the exchange of knowledge across disciplinary languages in team research settings. Through the initiative, she organizes and leads custom workshops on the Science of Team Science for faculty interested in increasing the effectiveness of team science projects. She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Network for the Science of Team Science (INSciTS) and teaches courses in Interdisciplinary Studies and Organizational Leadership.
Her other research interests include issues of identity, conflict resolution, and intercultural competencies. She is currently the faculty director for the Identity and Conflict in the Balkans Study Abroad program in the spring B session and has previously participated in Study Abroad programs in the Baltics, Czech Republic, Italy, Romania, and Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus.

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Of course we will also have our own in-house expert in the field of game-based learning, co-author of Emotify! The Power of the Human Element in Game-Based Learning, Serious Games and Experiential Education and founder of E.I. Games, Kevin Allen, who will be bringing his experience as a professor at Florida Atlantic University as well as a perspective on learning in a corporate setting with adults and returning learners in mind. 

The roundtable is open to the public, so register today here and we'll see you there!

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